Victor's Birthday Surprise
by Spunky0ne
Summary: A package is expected for Victor's birthday, but the one he gets is not exactly what he is expecting…
1. The Package

**Victor's Birthday Surprise**

 **By Spunky0ne**

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 _ **A package is expected for Victor's birthday, but the one he gets is not exactly what he is expecting…**_

 **XXXXXXXXXX**

 **Chapter 1: The Package**

Yuuri Katsuki sat cross-legged on the bed in his Saint Petersburg hotel room, his face rested on one hand and his brown eyes glaring out into the stormy darkness as his cell phone rang and rang repeatedly and he patently ignored it.

 _I'm not answering, Vitya_ , he thought angrily, _so you might as well stop calling._

He waited after the ringing stopped, then scowled as the notification sounded for yet another voice message.

 _I shouldn't even listen to it._

 _I should just erase it without listening, like I did with the others._

 _I'm still so mad at him!_

 _He got drunk again and forgot to pick me up at the airport. He said he was waiting on pins and needles, so excited I was coming back home in time for his birthday, yet he couldn't even bother to meet me at the airport like we planned._

 _And the worst part was that he was getting drunk with an old guy friend of his. I mean, I don't think there's anything between them, but…who knows, with Victor? He was a playboy before we got together, and…I don't know, maybe he still fools around._

 _No, that's not fair, is it?_

 _He's never…no, I don't think he would ever…_

 _I don't want to think that, but what am I supposed to think when he stands me up at the airport because he's too busy getting drunk with some other guy?_

He looked down at the cell phone, his heart flickering ambivalently.

 _I shouldn't._

 _I really shouldn't._

 _Just ignore it._

 _Let Victor be the one who's waiting and worrying._

But within minutes, his curiosity got the best of him, and he dialed the number for his voicemail. The message began, and immediately, he moved the phone farther from his ear as the sound of a baby wailing nearly drowned out Victor's voice.

 _Geez, where is he?_

A twinge of worry touched his insides.

 _Oh man, what if he got hurt and that's at a hospital waiting room or something?_

"Yuuri, please answer your phone!" Victor shouted over the baby's howling, "I really need your help. I can't explain. I'm sending a car to pick you up. Please, please, please forgive me and come home? I'm sober. I swear I am. And…and I'm sorry! I'm more sorry than you know. Come on, Yuuri, it's almost my birthday. Are you going to be so mad we don't even spend my birthday together?"

The message ended and Yuuri stared at the cell phone, pondering what to do.

 _He sounded pretty frantic. I mean, he obviously wanted to apologize and wanted me to forgive him…but there was something weird about that whole thing. I wonder what's going on._

The landline in his room rang, and he picked up the receiver.

"Mr. Katsuki, your ride is here, sir."

 _That's so presumptuous of him!_ " Yuuri mused angrily," _He assumes that just because he wants me to, I'll forgive him like that and come home. If he was so hyped for me to be home, why was I waiting for hours at the airport with no ride because I thought he was coming to meet me and he didn't?_

 _I'm still so mad at him!_

 _Well, even if I go home, I should make him sleep on the couch…at least until his birthday. It's only another day. I don't think it's too harsh, given what he did._

"Thank you," he said into the phone, "I'll be down to check out in a minute."

He checked the room carefully, making sure everything was in his bag, then he took the elevator down to the lobby and quickly checked out. He found a dark colored limousine waiting and climbed in.

"I'm Mr. Katsuki," he said tentatively, "You're here for me?"

"Yes," the driver said, nodding, "Good evening, Mr. Katsuki."

"Oh, good evening," Yuuri said back.

He climbed into the car and the driver pulled away from the curb, heading down the street and in the direction of the lovely home he shared with his coach and lover, Victor Nikiforov.

 _After the Grand Prix Finals, when I took silver, Victor and I had to separate for the Russian and Japanese Nationals, because they took place at the same time. But I planned to come back between Nationals and the Four Continents and European Championships. I was excited about sharing Victor's birthday with him for the first time._

 _I guess he wasn't as excited as I was…at least, if he was, he did a horrible job of showing it by getting drunk and forgetting to meet me. Victor is just an idiot sometimes, and he forgets things, sometimes important things. I already knew that about him._

 _I wonder if I should have been more understanding._

 _Well, the truth is, I probably would have been more understanding if he and his old friend Oska hadn't posted pictures of themselves being drunk together and dancing at some bar while Victor was supposed to be picking me up. I get that Oska showed up all of a sudden, and even that Victor was surprised and happy to see him. None of that bothers me as much as him forgetting to meet me while he was with another guy._

 _What am I supposed to think?_

 _It made me feel like I'm not so important to him…if he could forget me that easily._

 _Gah! He makes me so mad sometimes!_

 _Stupid Victor!_

He felt his temper flaring hotter as the car arrived at their home, but he got out and paid the driver, then he walked up to the front of the beautiful, sprawling one story home he shared with Victor. As he reached the steps, he heard a continuation of the wailing he had heard on the phone.

"What the heck…" he muttered, sticking his key into the lock and unlocking the door.

He walked into the entry of the house and realized that the noise was coming from the kitchen area. He walked into the kitchen and slid to a stop as he spotted Victor standing in the kitchen, facing away from him, and carrying a silver-haired baby on one arm, while his other hand was occupied with his cell phone.

"Okay," he said into the phone, "so she gave me a bottle with some formula in it for the baby. Do I warm it up? Do I just give it to her? What do I do? She's screaming her head off. Obviously, I'm doing something wrong. What do I do?"

"Victor!" Yuuri shouted over the din.

Victor turned around, nearly dropping the phone.

"Yuuri, thank god! HELP ME!"

Realizing that few answers would likely be given until after the baby stopped crying, Yuuri stepped forward and picked up the bottle of formula. As Victor stood, bouncing the baby girl gently and pleading with her in Russian to stop crying, Yuuri warmed the formula and checked the temperature, then he took the baby from his harried lover and sat down with her at the table. He slipped the nipple of the bottle into her mouth, and she instantly quieted and gulped happily at the formula.

"Oh my god, how did you do that?" Victor half sobbed, "She was just crying and crying, and I couldn't hear what they were telling me on the phone!"

"What who was telling you on the phone?" Yuuri asked.

"Information," Victor answered, "I don't know anything about babies, so I called Information."

"You…called Information," Yuuri said, shaking his head, "Victor, that number is to ask for phone numbers, not to get tips on how to handle a baby. And anyway, whose baby is this? I didn't think you were in touch with your family."

"I'm not," Victor said, taking slow breaths to calm himself, now that the baby was quiet, "This woman just showed up on the porch. She knocked and I thought it was you coming to forgive me. But she was there, and she had this baby, and she said that we spent the night together and had sex a lot of times about a year ago. I have no idea who she is, but she insists, you know? And the baby, she has my hair and eyes. I can't say I'm not her father, right? But, just like that, this woman puts the baby in my arms and she says it's my problem. She doesn't want the baby, so she just tells me it's mine! She tells me I owe her money for her medical bills too. And she left without telling me how to do anything! The baby took one look at me, and she starts to scream."

"I think I'd scream too, if I found out my father was a drunk who couldn't remember making me," Yuuri said dryly.

 _Victor may be a genius on the ice, but he's just not so smart in other ways._

"That's so mean, Yuuri," Victor said in a sulky voice, "You didn't get a baby dumped on you by surprise. How do you even know what you're doing, anyway? You're the youngest child in your family, right?"

"Yeah," Yuuri affirmed, "I am. But, I also needed to help earn money to pay for my skating and ballet costs, so I helped some people by looking after their kids…including a few babies."

"So, you know what to do, right?" Victor asked.

"I know what to do," Yuuri affirmed, "But, if the baby's going to stay with us, we're going to need a whole lot of things."

"I can get anything you want, by tomorrow, if we need it fast."

"Well, she'll need a crib to sleep in, clothes to wear, diapers, wipies, more formula, and that's just the beginning."

"Okay, while she's quiet, let's figure this out," Victor said, sitting down at the table and tapping on his phone, "We'll keep her in the spare room, I guess."

"I think she should be in with us," Yuuri suggested, "We're not the mother who had the baby, and we both sleep pretty soundly, so to be sure we don't sleep through her crying, we'll put the crib in the master bedroom, in the little alcove near the window. She'll probably like looking out at the back yard. It's pretty."

"Okay. Okay," Victor said, typing hastily, then showing his phone to Yuuri, "Here are some cribs. Is there a certain kind we should get?"

"This one looks good," Yuuri said, pointing out one of the cribs, "It's nice, but not too flashy or expensive. We'll need to order some blankets, sheets and things for it too."

"All right," Victor said, frowning and typing for several minutes, "Here, there is a set here that seems to have all of that. What next?"

"Ah, a changing stand, maybe a little dresser for her things. She'll need a few toys."

"Can we pick the toys later?" Victor asked in a panicky voice, "I'll show you the changing tables and baby dressers."

"Okay."

Yuuri looked down at the baby girl's pink face, watching as she sucked contentedly at the bottle. Her little hand reached up to touch Yuuri's cheek and Yuuri laughed softly.

"She's so cute, Vitya!" he said, admiring her, "She does look so much like you."

"I swear, I don't know how this happened," Victor complained, "I don't usually make mistakes like that. I'm careful, you know, because I used to sleep with a lot of women. This girl, I don't even remember her. I look and look at her, but I don't remember at all. She said that we met at a friend's party last year. I went to a lot of friends' parties, and I swear, Yuuri, this is before I met you."

"Don't worry. I believe you," Yuuri sighed, shaking his head, "I know what you were like before, and I can see pretty clearly that this must have happened a little before you came to Hasetsu. I'm not worried you cheated on me to make her."

Victor frowned.

"You were just mad because you suspected me of sleeping with that old friend of mine, Oska!" he argued, "Now, you say you just trust I didn't sleep with this woman while we were together?"

"How would you remember who you slept with or didn't sleep with, Vitya?" Yuuri snapped, "The way you are when you get drunk, how do I even know you wouldn't sleep around on me!"

"Yuuri!" Victor shouted, "I've never done anything like that since we've been together, and you know it!"

He paused, paling as his loud voice made the baby start to cry.

"Shh! Keep it down, will you?" Yuuri scolded him, "Now, show me the changing tables and dressers."

He looked at the display on Victor's phone and pointed out one of each.

"One of us will have to stay with her and one will have to go to the store," Yuuri said, slipping the nipple back into the baby's mouth, "We'll need formula, diapers, wipies and a few other things. The baby's starting to fall asleep, so I'll go and get the things while you watch her."

"What?" Victor yelped, "You're going to leave her alone with me? Yuuri, she'll start screaming again. I think she dislikes me almost as much as her mother does right now."

"And you probably kinda deserve it," Yuuri said, under his breath, "Don't worry. You'll be fine. I'll put the baby down on the bed and you can stay with her and just make sure that she doesn't fall off, onto the floor."

The baby finished the last of the formula and Yuuri found a burping cloth and laid it over his shoulder. He held the baby gently and patted and rubbed her back until she let out several loud burps and a little formula dribbled out of her mouth.

"She threw up? Is she sick?" Victor asked worriedly.

"It's okay," Yuuri chuckled, "Babies spit up sometimes when you burp them. She's fine, Vitya."

"Oh, good."

Yuuri carried the baby into the bedroom and laid her in the middle of the bed.

"Yuuri, is that a good idea?" Victor asked.

"It's fine for until we have the crib," Yuuri assured him, "I made a safe little area for her. But you have to stay right next to her, and don't fall asleep until I get back."

Yuuri shot him a dirty look.

"And especially, don't get drunk and forget she's there!"

"Yuuri!"

"I'll be back quickly."

Victor watched in dismay as Yuuri walked out of the room.

"Don't take too long, okay?" Victor called after him.

He turned back and walked to the bed, climbing on and laying down beside the sleeping tot. His blue-green eyes focused on her pretty face and slightly heart-shaped mouth.

"Now that you're quiet, I can see that you're really pretty cute," he whispered.

He tilted his head, studying her closely.

 _I guess she really must be mine. It's terrible that I don't even remember making her at all. But, before I went to Hasetsu, I was more of a mess than usual. I was depressed because I wasn't doing well in my planning for the next season. I couldn't find the inspiration I needed, and that made it really a bad time for me. I did go to a few parties and I got wasted, trying to relax so that my inspiration would come back. I was less careful than usual, so I guess it's not surprising something like this happened._

 _I really hope that Yuuri doesn't hate me._

 _I hope this kid stops hating me enough that she won't cry every time I look at her._

 _Or, maybe it was like Yuuri said, and she was just crying so much because she was hungry and I didn't know what to do to help her. She's sleeping so soundly now._

He watched the baby's little chest rise and fall, admiring her long, silvery locks and smiling mouth, a pert little nose and ears just like his.

 _When she's like this, she really is cute. I just dread when she wakes up and wants something. I hope Yuuri gets back soon._

But Yuuri was still absent when the baby girl woke, and she looked up at Victor curiously. She reached up to touch his lips and nose, then poked at his cheek and made a gurgling noise.

"I sympathize," he sighed, "I don't know what to do either. We're sort of stuck with each other, aren't we?"

He felt a twinge of worry, but he forced a little smile for her.

"It'll be all right, little one," he reassured her, picking her up and hugging her to his shoulder, breathing in her sweet baby scent, "I'll do the best I can, and we also have Yuuri…at least as long as he doesn't get too mad and run away and leave us."

He tilted his head and gave the baby a quizzical look.

"You don't think he'd leave us, do you, baby girl?" he asked.

The door to the bedroom opened and Yuuri entered, carrying several things in a large bag. Victor started to greet him, but stopped and stared as a scary rumble sounded around the area of the baby's bottom, and an unpleasant smell filled the room.

"Oh no!" Victor gasped, paling.

"It's just a dirty diaper," Yuuri said shortly, "Here, change her."

"Oh, I'm not so good at this," Victor said, putting the baby on her back.

"Well," Yuuri said, looking him squarely in the eye, "now is when you are going to get good at it, Dad."

"Oh no, I can't!" Victor yelped, "That smell, Yuuri. It's horrible! I just can't!"

"Yes," Yuuri said, glaring and setting the fresh diaper, wipies, and changing pad on the bed, "you can."


	2. Baby Girl

**Chapter 2: Baby Girl**

Victor opened the baby's diaper, then he paused and stared in bewilderment at the volume of the mess inside and loosed a Russian exclamation of shock and surprise.

"Yuuri, you can't fucking tell me that is _normal_! That much shit did not just come out of that baby's bottom!" he shouted, making the baby squeal and kick her legs as she started to cry again.

"Stop yelling like that!" Yuuri scolded him.

He smiled down at the screaming tot and tickled her cheek gently.

"It's okay. It's okay," he said soothingly, "Daddy Victor is just very stupid about babies right now, but I promise he'll learn quickly."

"Hey!" Victor objected, but in a softer voice.

"You see?" Yuuri purred cheerfully, "he is already learning what to do. And he'll get lots of practice with you. That's all Daddy Victor needs is a little practice, right?"

He kept his eyes on the baby and his voice lilting, directing his next words at her, although they were obviously meant for her stymied father.

"Right now, Victor is going to stop complaining about how much poop there is, and he is going to start cleaning it off your bottom, right, baby girl?"

"Ugh!" his unhappy partner grunted.

Victor's stomach quailed as he contemplated the horrific mess, and he gritted his teeth.

"He should try breathing through is mouth and not his nose," Yuuri continued, giving the baby a wink.

Victor scowled, but with an effort, he managed to stop breathing through his nose. Still, he squinched up his face and quivered as he used several wipies to slowly clean up the mess, complaining, albeit more quietly, as he worked.

"You can't tell me this is normal. It's just too much. She can't hold that much shit in that little body, can she?"

"Apparently, she can," Yuuri sing-songed, "You missed some on her right leg, didn't he, baby girl?"

"Grr," Victor grumbled softly, "It's easy to see why, when she squirms so much."

"She's a baby. Of course she's going to squirm," Yuuri chided him, "but if you use a gentle voice and stop acting like you're touching something vile, she'll like you more, and she'll be still for you."

"I _am_ touching something vile," Victor growled, still keeping his voice quiet, "There is shit everywhere!"

"Don't worry, you'll get better at this, and then it won't get everywhere while you're cleaning her up. And be glad you don't have to use cloth diapers that you would have to rinse and wash every time you use them. This is easier. Just take her gently by the feet and slip the diaper under her now."

He giggled as Victor started to put the diaper down backwards.

"Nope, the other way. Put it down and set her bottom down. Take the covers off the tabs and close the diaper, careful not to make it too tight or too loose."

"And how do I know that?"

"Tight enough so that you can slip your fingers in at the leg and waist openings, but not so loose the diaper falls off."

Victor worked for several long minutes, adjusting the diaper several times before looking at Yuuri for confirmation. His amused partner slipped his fingers under the edges, then smiled at the cooing baby and nodded.

"Good. Now, put her in that cute night-night onesie."

Victor nodded.

"I can do that…I think. Let's see, feet go in here and one arm…and the other arm."

He tickled the baby girl's belly, making her gurgle contentedly, then he buttoned up the front of the onesie.

"How's that?" he asked anxiously.

"Victor did a good job for his first time, didn't he, baby girl?" he chuckled.

"What now?" Victor sighed, "I'm exhausted after all of that. How do I get her to sleep?"

"Hold her on your lap and hum or sing to her. She'll drop off and you can put her in the area I made for her on the bed. We'll get her crib tomorrow and then she'll sleep there, but this will do for tonight. I think you can manage."

He stood and started towards the bedroom door.

"Goodnight, Vitya."

Victor's jaw dropped.

"You're _leaving_? Yuuri…you can't leave me alone with her. I don't know what to do if she starts crying again. Please, stay here with me! I need your help, and anyway, I thought you forgave me!"

"I never said a thing about forgiving you yet," Yuuri said sternly, "You left me for hours at the airport, waiting for you while you were drunk and dancing with another guy, Vitya."

"I _explained_ to you. In Russian custom, if an old friend asks you to have a drink, you have to have two or three to be polite!"

"I think you had more than two or three," Yuuri said skeptically, "and that may explain why you drank, but it doesn't excuse you from leaving me at the airport for hours! And after I gave up waiting for you, I paid for a hotel room I didn't get to use very much, because you called me over here."

"What do you mean, _over here_?" Victor objected, "I called you to come home, where you should have come anyway! I need your help, Yuuri."

"Yes," Yuuri said pointedly, "You need my help to clean up another mess that your bad, drunken behavior got you into…even more reason why I am not sleeping with you tonight. Besides, I think you'll be too busy with you and your daughter getting to know each other."

"I need to get some sleep! I don't stay up this late before a day of skating practice. You know that!"

"I thought you didn't have skating practice tomorrow, because Yakov had that…"

"Oh right. I forgot."

"Have you figured out what you'll do with her while you're skating, Vitya?" Yuuri asked, "You have to think about that now. And if she's going with you to practices, you'll need to fill the diaper bag with formula, clothes and supplies for her. You'll also need to pay someone to babysit, either here, if you're leaving her at home, or at the rink, if you're taking her there."

Yuuri caught the tentative look his lover gave him and shook his head firmly.

"We are not married, so I won't let you treat me like we are. If you want me to watch her while you skate, you'll pay me to do so, just like any other babysitter. That changes only once we're married, and not before."

"Okay, fine! Whatever you say," Victor agreed, "Will you watch her tonight, while I sleep too?"

Yuuri bit back a scathing reply and looked quietly at Victor holding his baby daughter in his arms.

"Vitya," he said more gently, "you and your baby need time to bond, to get know each other."

"Do we have to do that right now?" Victor asked urgently, "I need to sleep. I have practice in the morning!"

"No, you don't," Yuuri reminded him.

"Oh right!" Victor said in a flustered tone, "Sorry, I keep forgetting. It's just so stressful right now."

"Sure it is," Yuuri said bracingly, "But Vitya, lots of parents have work the next day or plans that they've made. They make room in their lives for their precious new baby. If you just pay someone to take care of her all of the time, she won't get the time she needs with her father. Think about what just happened to her today. You may have been inconvenienced and you may lose some sleep, but your daughter just had her mother, the only person she really knows, walk out on her and leave her with you, who doesn't know her at all. If you're going to keep her…"

"Of course I'm going to keep her! I'm her father. At least, I think I am. She needs someone to take care of her."

"And you need to learn how. Just stay with her and think about her feelings. If she cries, then she needs something. She has no way to get what she needs right now, except crying. Listen to how she cries and you'll learn what she needs."

"They have different cries? I think it all sounds the same to me," Victor said worriedly, "How do I know which is which?"

"You'll figure it out. It'll be fine. Now, I'll leave you to get to know each other better. Just hum or sing to her for awhile, like I said, and she'll probably fall asleep in your arms. Then, just put her on the other side of the bed and you can both sleep."

Victor watched in dismay as Yuuri left the room and closed the door behind him. He looked from the closed door to the baby in his arms.

"It looks like you weren't the only one abandoned tonight, eh?" he sighed, "Okay…humming or singing? Maybe just humming. I don't really sing unless I'm drunk, and then, I sing badly."

He sat cross-legged on the bed, looking down into his daughter's pretty eyes and humming softly.

 _Okay, this is working. She's at least very calm now._

 _Ah, her eyes blinked. Good._

He continued to hum softly, rocking gently from side to side as the baby girl drifted off.

 _Oh, thank god. I thought it might be another struggle. I wonder how long I have to wait until I put her down._

He continued to hum and leaned over the little barrier Yuuri had constructed in the middle of the bed, setting the baby down carefully. But as she touched down on the bed, her eyes flew open and her mouth opened in a powerful objection.

"Okay. Okay," Victor sighed, picking her back up again, "I didn't wait long enough. We'll try this again, okay?"

He rocked her and hummed for longer, then tried setting her down again, only to have the baby wake and object a second time.

"Well, that's not working," he yawned, wincing at the baby's crying, "I wonder if Yuuri's gone to sleep. He might be able to figure out what I'm doing wrong."

He looked at the door, contemplating for a moment.

"I think he'd just tell me I'll figure it out. He's so mean to me sometimes. It's not like I meant to leave him at the airport! I _was_ happy he was coming home. I just got distracted when Oska showed up unexpectedly and…"

He paused, looking down at the baby's pretty face.

"I do feel bad about forgetting to pick up Yuuri. I apologized, but maybe I need to do more. Let's make a deal, okay? You let me sleep a little, and I'll promise to make a really nice dinner for Yuuri after practice tomorrow, to really say I'm sorry. What do you think? Can you go to sleep now?"

He tried settling her again, then set her down, only to have her start crying again.

"Okay, okay!" he yawned, picking her up, "Apparently, your mother never put you down to sleep. Who knows, maybe she held you all the time and never slept at all. But, I can't do that, you know? I have to sleep, and you should too."

He coaxed her to sleep, yet again and even waited until he was very sure she was sleeping deeply. He kept singing softly as he laid her on the bed, but the moment she touched down, a squeal escaped her little body and she started to cry again.

"God, I don't know what to do! What am I doing wrong? Give me a hint, okay? I think your cry is tired, and I'm tired too, so why the hell won't you sleep, if you're tired? I hum to you. I put you down very gently. What more do you want?"

He held the baby up in front of him, facing him.

"Are you trying to kill me with lack of sleep? People can actually die from that, you know! We both need to sleep now, so will you please stop crying?"

The baby girl's cries stopped and she reached for Victor's tired face with her tiny fingers.

"You like my face?" he sighed wearily, "That's great. But it would look even better if I got some sleep."

Exhausted, Victor laid the baby on his chest, with her head resting over his heart. The baby cooed softly and immediately started to drift off again.

"Oh fine, now you get to sleep, but I know what happens as soon as I try to move you. You'll just wake up and cry again."

He watched quietly as the baby slept, feeling an odd flicker in his heart and a warmth all through his body at her closeness and her soft scent.

 _As long as she's not got a dirty diaper and she's sleeping like this, she's pretty cute and she smells good. If I just wasn't so tired…_

He continued to hold her in his arms until faint morning light began to come in through the window. The baby stirred in his arms and began to whimper.

"What's it now?" Victor asked sleepily, "Did you poop again?"

He laid her on the bed beside him and sat up to open her onesie.

"No poop this time, but you are wet," he yawned.

Changing seemed to go more easily, but as soon as he was finished, the baby started to cry and grab at his shirt.

"Hmm, you're clean and you, at least, got some sleep, so maybe you are hungry?"

He left the bedroom and carried the baby out to the kitchen.

"Yuuri didn't tell me how to warm the bottles exactly," he worried aloud.

He found his cell phone and sat down at the table with it, touching several buttons, then reading for a few minutes, while he bounced the baby gently on his knee.

"That doesn't seem too hard."

He got up and followed the directions, then took the prepared bottle and sat down at the table to feed the baby. She latched onto the bottle and sucked happily, gurgling and kicking her feet excitedly.

"Oh, you're full of energy," he complained, "because you got to sleep. I don't even know how I will get through today…"

He blinked, remembering.

"Oh right, no practice today…and it's my birthday. Lucky me. No practice. That's probably a good thing, since I'd just fall on my face on the ice and pass out if I tried to skate," he complained.

He looked around the very neat, but undecorated house and took in the deep silence.

"It's pretty much how it always is," he sighed, "To busy with competition to decorate for the coming holidays and too tired from it to celebrate my birthday. Who would come anyway, with everyone busy with competitions or tired from them?"

A little sad smile touched Victor's lips.

"I'm not close with my family either," he confessed softly, "My parents are book smart and my older brother, Karik, he is smart…a genius, so he went away to college and we lost touch. My older sister, Stasia, she is smart too, so she went away also and I don't hear from her. I was youngest and not that kind of smart. I was gifted in skating, so I was sent to boarding school to learn skating. At first, my parents came to visit, but they get busy since they don't have kids at home, and we drifted apart, so they stopped calling me and coming to events. Then, I start to compete and I don't have time for holiday visits even. They send cards, but we never talk anymore. Now, they feel like strangers, you know?"

He heard a soft footstep and spotted Yuuri in the kitchen entry, wearing a guilty expression.

"S-sorry," he apologized, "I wasn't eavesdropping. I just…"

"It's fine," Victor sighed, "I should have told you about my family before we moved in together."

"It's okay," Yuuri assured him, "You don't have to tell me anything you don't feel ready to tell me."

"It's not like it was a secret. It's just that you and your parents and sister are different than my family was…is. I felt…like maybe it was my fault. Maybe I should have tried harder to stay in touch. But the truth is, my parents never seemed as proud of me as they did of my siblings who were smart in academics. I learned a trade, and did very well, but I never went to college. They mentored us in the boarding school to a certain point, and they said it wasn't important to learn more."

"Trust me, you didn't miss that much," Yuuri chuckled, sitting down at the table and stealing the baby from his tired lover, "I never notice anything that would make me think you were less educated than me."

Yuuri paused and tilted his head slightly.

"You look really beat," he commented, "Why don't you let your baby girl and me get to know each other better while you go back to sleep for awhile?"

"Go back to sleep?" Victor mused, "I never closed my eyes all night. She wouldn't let me put her down, so I just held her all night."

"Idiot," Yuuri chided him, "you should have asked for help. I would have helped you."

"You? You were the one who said I should do it, and you left me. I wasn't going to go, asking to have you scold me for not being able to take care of the baby I made."

"I wouldn't have…okay, I might have scolded you a little, but I would have helped. Whatever, I'll help now, okay? It'll be part of my birthday gift to you. Now, go and get some sleep."

Victor smiled gratefully.

"I owe you my life. I'm dying for a little sleep," he sighed, climbing to his feet and heading out of the kitchen.

"Um, Victor?"

"Hmm?"

"Does your baby girl have a name?"

"I don't think so," Victor answered, frowning, "Her mother didn't tell me one, and on the papers in her things it says _Baby Girl Nikiforova_."

"Right. Okay, we'll name her later. First, go and get some sleep."

He watched as Victor left, then he smiled down at the baby.

"You gave him a really hard time, didn't you?" he laughed softly, "He looked totally worn out. I guess it would be mean to punish him anymore, especially with it being his birthday. And he did try hard to take good care of you all night. Tell you what…we're going to dress this place up a little, then you and I will give Victor a birthday to remember! How's that?"

"Ah!" the baby yelled, smacking her little hand on Yuuri's cheek.

"You like that?" he laughed, "Me too! Let's get started, okay?"


	3. Preparations

**Chapter 3: Preparations**

Yuuri carefully strapped Victor's baby daughter into the front pack he'd gotten, then he walked into the bathroom to check all of the straps and openings.

"I got this for you while I was out before," he said, smiling at the baby girl's reflection, "I hope you like it. My friend, Yu-chan, said that she had front packs and backpacks for carrying her triplets around, and they always liked the front packs the best, especially facing out, so they could see everything. What do you think?"

"Gah!" the baby yelled, kicking her feet and reaching excitedly towards her own reflection.

Yuuri snickered.

"Like father, like daughter, _ne_?" he giggled, "You even have his very charming smile. I sure hope you have a better memory and you don't ever start drinking like he does. He's pretty impossible, that's for sure."

Yuuri gazed quietly at his and the baby's reflections for a moment and his eyes softened affectionately.

"But…if Victor wasn't impossible, then I wouldn't have met him…and I wouldn't have met you. And, even though Victor inconvenienced me and made me angry and upset, you…make me feel…"

His eyes softened further, misting a little. He tilted his head, rubbing his soft cheek lightly on the top of the baby's fuzzy head.

"I've always wondered what it would be like to have a baby. I know I can't have a baby of my own with Victor, but if you are here to stay, Victor and I will be raising you together. I'm not a replacement for your mother, but I promise I will always take care of you and love you. You're a part of the person I most love, so I can't help but love you too. You're a pretty little miracle, aren't you, baby girl?"

He looked at their reflection and sighed softly.

"I think Victor doesn't see what a miracle you are yet. Right now, he's too busy realizing what work babies are. We'll have to give him some time, but I just know that he's going to fall in love with you. In the meantime, I'll make sure that you two don't drive each other too crazy. Deal?"

"Mmah!" shouted that baby, wiggling in the pack and reaching out for Yuuri's reflection.

Yuuri giggled.

"You sure get excited about things, just like Victor does. You're going to be a handful, just like your daddy, aren't you?"

The baby squealed and kicked her feet.

"I'm glad you have so much energy," Yuuri giggled, "You can help me get things ready. Shh, we're going to surprise your daddy with a very nice birthday surprise."

He left the bathroom and walked out into the living area of the house, looking around at the neat, but plain looking environs.

"This doesn't look like a place to have a party," he chuckled, "but we'll get it spruced right up. Will you help me, baby girl?"

"Eeeeeeeeeeeeeee!" squealed the happy baby.

"Okay, here we go."

Yuuri located his phone and looked through the contacts.

"Yakov should be able to come…and Yurio, Otabek, Georgi, Mila…ah, I think there are a few people he knows that aren't on here."

He walked into the kitchen and found Victor's cell phone lying on the counter.

"Hmm, he must have left it here when he was feeding you. That's a sure sign that Victor is _very_ tired, because he never leaves his cell phone lying around. He always has it close, in case he wants to take a picture. But…" he said, punching in the code, "he won't mind if we use this to find a few more friends."

He scrolled down the list of names and numbers, noting several as he went. While passing through the Ns, he found an entry that simply said _Nikiforov_. Yuuri frowned.

 _Victor doesn't have a landline. He just uses his cell. That's so strange. I wonder…_

He didn't mean to, but his finger accidently activated the number, and the line rang. He sucked in a shocked breath, nearly dropping the phone as he scrabbled to end the call. His shock increased as the line clicked and a deep, male voice answered in Russian.

"Vitya? Is that you, son?"

Yuuri swallowed nervously.

 _Victor seemed ambivalent about his family. He sounded like he loves them, but he feels bad because he's talented in a different way than the rest of them are._

 _I can't believe that his parents would think less of him for being an athlete. Victor is a legendary skater. I think…maybe he's worried over nothing._

 _Anyway…_

"Vitya," the man's voice said again.

"H-hello?" he said in halting Russian.

 _I've been practicing since I moved here. I hope I can get this right._

"I am Yuuri, Victor's…V-victor's ah…student. He is my coach. Is…is this Victor's father?"

He wondered how the man's answer made him feel like the elder Nikiforov was smiling.

"Would it help if I speak English?" the man asked.

"Oh! Oh, thank you!" Yuuri exclaimed, "Sorry, I sort of…accidently."

He paused awkwardly, searching for the right words.

"T-today is Victor's birthday, and I know you're probably busy. I just didn't realize that Victor wasn't going to celebrate, so I'm planning a surprise for him."

There was silence on the other end of the phone for a moment before Victor's father answered.

"You…would like us to come?" the man asked, sounding surprised, and a little uncertain.

"Well, yes," Yuuri answered, "You see, Victor is coaching me and we live together now, but I've never met any of his family."

"Has Vitya told you that he doesn't call us so much?"

"He said you aren't close," Yuuri acknowledged, "but Victor sounded like he might be regretful about that. Anyway, I'm learning about Russian birthday customs. I know now that it's bad luck to celebrate before the date, and usually parties are scheduled for the weekend after, if the birthday falls during the week. Just, a lot of our friends will be gone for competitions on the weekend, and today is the actual day."

"You've gone to some trouble to make it special for him," Victor's father said quietly, "I'm sure some things we do are confusing."

"A little," Yuuri chuckled, "but Victor spent a lot of time in Japan, learning about our customs. Now that I'm living here, I want to learn all about his."

"Very well," the man said, sounding amused, "Then, if you wish for us to come, we will come. Victor's mother will come and help you to prepare."

"Oh, you don't have to. You're our guests!"

"We are family of Vitya. We will help."

"Okay," Yuuri laughed nervously, "You are close to us then?"

"We are close."

"I'm so glad you can come!" Yuuri said excitedly, "Victor will be really happy."

"You think so, eh? Vitya has been distant for awhile."

"I don't think he means to be," Yuuri assured him, "I think that Victor just…feels different because his talent is skating and he said that's different than the rest of his family."

"He said that to you?" the elder Nikiforov asked.

Yuuri heard him mutter a Russian phrase that he was sure meant something to the effect of _silly boy_ with an affectionate tone.

"We are proud of our boy."

"I thought he might be wrong," Yuuri said, smiling, "Thank you. I know Victor will be surprised and happy to see you."

"Good. So, you make room for six adults and ten children?" Victor's father asked.

"Wow!" Yuuri gushed, "Are Victor's brother and sister coming too?"

"I'll call them. They will come."

"All short notice like that?" Yuuri mused, "Really?"

"Vitya is our boy. He is our little one."

"That's amazing! Victor's going to be so happy!"

After ending the call, Yuuri checked his phone.

"Yes! Looks like everyone's really excited. Victor doesn't usually have parties on his birthday."

He cleaned the house, then fed the baby. As he was finishing, the doorbell rang and a delivery truck dropped off the baby furniture. Yuuri had just watched them leave, when a dark colored sedan, followed by two vans. He blinked in wonder as what looked to be the entire Nikiforov family headed up to the doorstep. They slowed as they reached Yuuri and the two oldest adults paused, studying Yuuri closely, while he did the same to them.

 _Oh my god! Victor gets his hair color from his mother, his pretty eyes from his dad! He has his mother's smile, but his father's tall body and long legs._

 _Wow!_

"Yuuri Katsuki," the eldest man said, "I am Mischa Nikiforov, this is my wife, Eva, my son Karik, my daughter, Stasia…and you can learn all of the children's names later.

"I'm pleased to meet you," Yuuri answered, "Victor is sleeping."

He glanced down at the baby he held in the front pack.

"Uh, we got a little surprise yesterday."

Victor's parents looked from the ring on Yuuri's finger, to the baby and back at him, wearing confused expressions.

"You…are…?" Eva mused.

"Oh…the baby, the rings. Sorry!" Yuuri apologized, "I'm doing this badly. I am…Victor and I are…engaged. The baby is Victor's daughter."

"Vitya has a little girl?" Eva said, her eyes adoring as she moved closer.

"But…he is engaged to you?" Mischa asked, looking more confused.

"Oh, we know that we can't officially be married here in Russia, so we will get married somewhere else…um…when we're ready."

"And this baby?" Mischa asked, his eyes growing stern, "She is…?"

"Th-that's a little complicated," Yuuri stammered, "I'll let Victor explain. But, we…her mother just left her with Victor yesterday."

"What's her name?" Stasia asked, tickling the baby's cheek, "She looks just like him."

The baby gurgled and stretched her arms towards Victor's mother, kicking her legs excitedly.

"She…ah…doesn't have a name. The birth certificate just says _Baby girl Nikiforov_."

"Ah, well, we'll fix that, won't we?" Eva laughed, plucking the baby out of the pack.

The baby squealed and grabbed at her face and silvery hair.

"She's so adorable!" Eva exclaimed, kissing the baby's little fingers.

"You say Vitya is sleeping?" Mischa asked, tilting his head in a very Victor-like motion.

"Yes," Yuuri affirmed, "He didn't sleep at all last night. She…the baby kept him up. We were scrambling a little to get things ready for her."

Victor's brother looked at the cluster of boxed furniture, just inside the door.

"Looks like you need a little help," Karik chuckled, "Tell you what. We boys will put together the furniture together and the ladies can start cooking."

"C-cooking?"

"Of course," Karik laughed, "Russian birthdays…"

"Oh right!" Yuuri recalled, "They're kind of a lunch and dinner thing. I bought some food while I was out before, but if you need anything…"

"Don't you worry about a thing!" Eva reassured him, "We've got this."

"Wow, that's…amazing!" Yuuri mused.

 _They're really great. Victor's dad was right. Victor was silly to think they loved him less because he's a skater. They couldn't wait to come and help out._

 _They're wonderful!_

Karik and Stasia and their spouses gathered the children.

"You have to be really quiet," Karik warned them, "Yuuri will give you decorations, then you will dress up the house for the celebration. Go now!"

"The decorations are on the sofa!" Yuuri called after them as Maccachin yipped at the newcomers, wagging his tail happily.

"Well," Mischa said, bending to pet the old poodle, "I haven't seen you since you were barely more than a puppy! Now, look, you are an old man, like me!"

 _Oh my god!_

 _His laugh is like Victor's!_

Yuuri felt like he became the center of a storm of activity, and he wasn't sure how Victor slept through the sounds of their laughter and talking, the scents of cooking foods and the clanking of the pieces of furniture as Victor's siblings put the pieces together.

In the middle of the hubbub, Yuuri thought he heard someone moving around in the bedroom, and he ducked inside, closing the door behind him. Victor stood by the bed, dressed in his robe and looking still half-asleep.

"Who is here, Yuuri?" he asked, "I heard voices out there."

"W-well, I sort of arranged a little surprise for your birthday today," Yuuri confessed.

Victor looked down at his robe, then back at Yuuri.

"I'm not dressed for a party."

"Take your time. Have a shower and then come out. Everyone is meeting your baby girl and having snacks. You can join us when you're ready."

Victor was quiet for a moment and he sat down on the bed, wearing an uncertain expression. Yuuri moved closer and sat down next to him.

"Sorry, I think it's really nice that you went to so much trouble, but…I usually don't do this. You see…"

"Oh, I know,"' Yuuri assured him, "Usually, when your birthday falls during the week, you wait for the following weekend. But a lot of our friends have competitions on the weekends, so I decided to do it today. I hope that's okay."

Victor's face took on a happy, but slightly tormented look.

"It's…really sweet of you, Yuuri," he said softly, "I always get lots of gifts from friends and fans and my family, but…I'm usually too busy and tired to plan. I don't know how you could go to all of the work."

"Well, I had some help," Yuuri said cheerfully, nudging his fiancé to his feet, "Go on, now. Go shower and dress. And when you come out, you are going to have the best time ever!"

Yuuri left the room again, and found that more guests were arriving. The house filled with family and friends, all laughing, talking and enjoying the steady stream of delicious appetizers that Victor's mother and sister made. They passed the baby girl from person to person, laughing as they suggested names for the sudden addition to the family.

"Has Vitya said what he would like to name her?" Eva asked.

"Not really," Yuuri chuckled, "Poor Victor has had his hands full, learning how to take care of a baby. He's so tired, I wasn't sure he'd wake up. But, he's showering and dressing now. We can ask him what he thinks when he comes out here. He's going to be so surprised when he sees all of you."

When Yuuri heard the shower stop, he called all of the guests to the great room in the middle of the house. They waited excitedly, laughing softly and whispering until the bedroom door opened and Victor walked out, dressed beautifully in a dark shirt, tie and dark slacks. He started to smile, then he froze, staring at the faces of his parents, siblings and nieces and nephews.

"Happy birthday, Vitya!" everyone cried.

"I can't believe you're all here," he managed, his voice shaking and his eyes misting, "Thank you…all of you."

His eyes found Yuuri and grew large and affectionate. He grabbed his fiancé and hugged him crushingly.

"I don't know how you did this, but you are _amazing_!"

"You like it?" Yuuri asked elatedly, "It makes you happy?"

"I could die from being so happy!" Victor exclaimed.

"And now," Eva laughed, holding up the little baby girl, "What do you say we play a game? This little baby…"

She paused and arched an eyebrow at her blushing son.

"Who I'm sure Vitya will be able to explain later…she needs a name. How about we help him choose one?"


	4. The Family Nikiforov

**Chapter 4: The Family Nikiforov**

Victor and Yuuri's home was filled with the sounds of talk and happy laughter as the group of family and friends who had gathered for the Russian skater's birthday, compared notes on their phones and wrote names down on small pieces of paper that Victor's mother and sister had provided. After awhile Eva Nikiforova gathered the children at the party, and they helped her to set up a number of chairs in a circle. Eva directed the guests to the chairs and explained.

"This game is kind of like musical chairs, but a little different. Each guest will sit in a chair, and as the music plays, we will pass the baby around. Vitya will be blindfolded on a chair in the middle, and when he says _stop_ , we stop the music, and whoever has the baby will give Vitya the white envelope that is taped to the balloon on the back of the chair. Inside the envelopes are names we all have chosen. In this way, we will help Vitya give his baby girl a name."

Clapping and excited chatter broke out around the room as the guests quickly took their places. Yuuri set the baby in Mischa's lap, while Victor's mother blindfolded him and guided him to the chair in the middle. Eva and Yuuri took her place among the guests, while one of the children started the music. Laughter broke out all around at the cute children's song that played, and they began passing the happy, cooing girl from guest to guest as everyone sang the children's song loudly. Blindfolded and singing along, Victor let the song go on for several rounds before calling out a stop.

The music halted, and Victor removed the blindfold and laughed at seeing Yakov holding the baby girl and looking at her with a bemused expression.

"Okay, okay," laughed Eva, heading to Yakov's chair and taking the envelope that had been taped to the balloon on the chair's back, "we have our girl's name!"

She handed the envelope to Victor, who opened it and looked down at the name, his blue-green eyes softening approvingly as he read it.

"Ekaterina," he read, "The baby will be called _Katya_."

"It looks like Vitya really likes the name," Yuuri commented to Mischa, who smiled a little sadly.

"I put the name in," he explained, "It was my late mother's name. When Vitya was little, she used to care for him sometimes. He was always so happy with her. They were very close. Vitya was still very young when she died of illness. He didn't understand what it meant to say she died. Eva told him that she went to be in heaven, in the stars…and Vitya was cute. He said that he saw _Baba's_ star every night, and he talked to her before he would fall asleep at night."

Yuuri's eyes misted as he spotted Victor holding his daughter and smiling nostalgically.

"You can see that's what he's thinking about," he sighed softly, "Now, they will be together forever in Katya's name, right?"

"Yes," Mischa agreed, "I didn't know you knew of the convention."

Yuuri smiled.

"Her patronymic will be taken from Victor's name, so it will be _Victorovna_. Ekaterina Victorovna Nikiforova."

"That is a mouthful, _da_?" Mischa laughed.

"We'll just be calling her Katya," Yuuri chuckled.

In the wake of the game, the guests spread out again, throughout the house and yard, with the adults talking, laughing, eating and drinking in the house, while the children played outdoors. There seemed to be no end of delicious food, strong drinks and good company. The gathering lasted into the evening, and Yuuri was just looking around wearily and wondering how they would ever get everything cleaned up. They said their goodbyes to their friends, then they entered the house to find Eva and Stasia supervising the children as they helped to tidy up. In a surprisingly short time, the house was back to normal, and the family stood in front, hugging and kissing Victor and Yuuri goodbye.

"You are a very sweet boy, Yuuri," Eva said approvingly, hugging him tightly, then kissing him on each blushing cheek, "Vitya is very lucky to have you here with him."

She narrowed her eyes and gave Victor a stern look.

"You take good care of Yuuri and give Katya and him lots of love. You have a beautiful family, Vitya. Keep them well."

"I will," Victor promised.

He slipped an arm around Yuuri, holding Katya in the other as they watched his parents and siblings drive away. The two young men walked back into the house, and to Victor's surprise, Katya swiftly dropped off to sleep in her new crib, near the bedroom window.

"Wow, she must be really tired from the party," he chuckled.

"I'm surprised she lasted through the whole thing, but then, she's so much like you."

Yuuri paused, noticing the tentative look his lover was giving him.

"Yuuri," Victor said, taking the Japanese man in his arms, "thank you for doing this. Even if not for the fact that you were mad at me, for good reason, I didn't expect anything like this. I haven't spent time with my family in a really long time. I know now that I was being stupid, thinking that I was less to them, because I am an athlete."

"They love you so much," Yuuri assured him, "They were so eager to drop everything and be here. And they were so kind to help set up for the party and put together the baby furniture. You're lucky to have them. You shouldn't avoid them anymore."

"I won't," Victor promised, kissing Yuuri tenderly, "and I won't forget that you are the one who gave them back to me. And you gave me this wonderful party. I usually don't have them, because I'm too tired and everyone who I would invite is busy."

"Well, everyone who I called was here," Yuuri said, smirking, "even your pal, Oska."

Victor's smile faded.

"It was…good of you to invite him, especially after my bad behavior, forgetting to pick you up because I was so excited about seeing him again. You have every right to still be angry at me, but I promise you, Yuuri, I didn't mean it. And nothing happened with him, if you are still wondering. Oska and I are just very old friends. There was never anything else."

"I know. He came and talked to me during the party. He felt bad too. I get it. I accept your apology, really."

Victor's bright eyes turned hopeful.

"Then…you will come to bed with me tonight? Please say you will, Yuuri," he pleaded, laying his head on Yuuri's shoulder, "I really missed you last night…and not just because I was up all night with Katya. I mean, I missed sleeping next to you."

"I missed you too," Yuuri chuckled, kissing him on top of the head.

"Really?" Victor asked, giving him wide, puppy dog eyes, "You were so mad at me. But you still gave me the best party ever, and now you are really forgiving me?"

Yuuri sighed and ran his fingers through his lover's silvery hair.

"When you are in love with someone, that's what you do, isn't it?"

"Oh, I'm glad," Victor said in a deeply relieved tone, "I know you told me you weren't going to leave me, but I wasn't sure, you know?"

"Why would you think I would do that, when I told you I wouldn't?" asked Yuuri, frowning at him.

"Well, I've been in other relationships," Victor sighed, "and sooner or later, they always got tired of my skating taking up most of my time, or some of them didn't like me giving so much attention to my fans when I would be out with them, and people would come up to us."

"Really? What did they think you should do? Ignore people who are calling out to you because they love you?" Yuuri said, shaking his head, "I admire how you are so good with your fans."

"Well, I wouldn't be where I am without them," Victor said, matter-of-factly, "Their love really motivates me. It's not that my lover motivates me less, or not enough…"

"Your past lovers have said _that_ to you?" Yuuri mused, "That's just silly. You're the one who taught me to respect how motivating it is to motivate someone who looks up to us."

"I know, right?" Victor agreed emphatically, "But, not everyone I dated was a skater, so they sometimes didn't understand. I tried my best to give more time to them or to make sure I gave them lots of love, but they always got tired of me, and I was so exhausted, trying to be enough to them, that they left, and I just let them go. I don't feel that way with you, Yuuri. I feel happy with you."

"I feel happy with you too," Yuuri chuckled as Victor kissed the warm flesh beneath his chin.

"But, I forget things, sometimes important things," Victor complained, "and you've said, yourself, that I am sometimes an ass."

"Yeah, I've said that," Yuuri laughed, tickling his lover's cheek, "But, I'm not perfect either. I'm sometimes still awkward, and I don't listen to you when I get mad. I can be stubborn."

"I'll give you that," Victor snickered.

"But you still love me, right?"

"I do."

"And I still love you, just like I have all of my life, Vitya."

Victor gave him a skeptical look.

"Yuuri, when you didn't really know me, how could you love me?" he asked.

Yuuri took a long breath and let it out slowly, continuing to hold Victor against him as he answered.

"We may not have known each other in the normal way, but you and I have always expressed our love on the ice…both back then, and still, now. I watched you and I learned from you. Everything that I became as a figure skater, I was able to become, because of the love I feel for you."

Victor's smile faded slightly.

"I wish I had known you for all of those years, Yuuri," he sighed, "I wouldn't have had all of those failed relationships."

"Hmm," Yuuri said, turning them so that they could see Victor's sleeping daughter, "but if you hadn't gone through all of that, and made the mistakes you made, then we wouldn't have Katya."

Victor's face took on a more serious look as they watched the baby girl sleeping.

"Yuuri," he said, pulling free of his lover's arms and looking back at him, "what would you think of giving Katya a different middle name? Maybe a Japanese one?"

Yuuri laughed softly.

"In Japan, we don't give children middle names," he explained, "Besides, I think it's kind of sweet that right now, it's your grandma's name and yours together. Do you really want to change it?"

Victor nodded.

"I do," he said firmly, "You see, because Katya doesn't just have one father. She has two."

Yuuri's eyes widened.

"B-but, we're not…we're not married yet," he stammered, "and even when we are, it won't be official in Russia or in Japan."

"That's right," Victor agreed, "We aren't like other families. We are sort of our own thing, aren't we?"

"Y-yeah, I guess you could say that," Yuuri agreed.

"Then, I want to name her Ekaterina Yuurievna Nikiforova," Victor announced.

Yuuri's jaw dropped and his eyes began to fill up with grateful tears.

"Vitya, you don't have to…to do that. I mean…Katya is…"

"I am going to marry you, and you are going to be her father too," Victor insisted, "Yuuri, I want to do this. I want her to always know how much love there is around her. I want her to know how much of that love comes from you."

Yuuri went speechless for a moment, looking into Victor's affectionate eyes and reading his insistence.

"Y-you really want this?" he asked, wiping his damp eyes.

Victor nodded.

"I really do," he answered wholeheartedly, "So, Yuuri, will you marry me now?"

"Huh? Right now?" Yuuri stammered, giving him a surprised look.

"Right now," Victor affirmed.

Yuuri's shock morphed into a warm, happy smile.

"No," he answered, grinning.

"What?" Victor mused, giving his lover a look of alarm, "You won't marry me, Yuuri? Why not?"

"Well," Yuuri chuckled, "because…I haven't won gold yet, have I?"

Victor's face made itself over with relief.

"Don't be silly, Yuuri. You took first in the Japanese Nationals. That's gold."

"Ah, but that was a _domestic_ championship, not the Grand Prix Finals or Worlds or the Olympics or anything."

"But…"

"Nope," Yuuri insisted, "I want to do this the right way. I am going to win at the Four Continents and then I'll compete with you at Worlds."

"You don't have to do that," Victor laughed.

"Yes, I do. I want to do this the right way."

"But, I'll be competing with you," Victor pointed out.

"Oh," Yuuri said, arching an eyebrow, "you think I can't win against you?"

"I didn't say that," Victor laughed.

"I beat your free skate score at the Grand Prix Finals," Yuuri snapped playfully.

"You did," Victor agreed, turning and bringing him down onto their bed, glaring into his eyes teasingly, "but I wasn't competing against you then. Who knows what will happen when we compete at Worlds?"

"I can't wait for that!" Yuuri sighed, "More than anything, I've wanted to compete with you again…and this time, I'll be the skater you saw in that viral video."

"Promise?" Victor giggled.

"I promise!" Yuuri answered enthusiastically.

"Good, that's what I like to hear!" Victor said approvingly, bringing his warm, hungry mouth down onto Yuuri's.

The two continued to exchange progressively more amorous kisses, rolling around playfully on the bed and slowly undressing. But just as they were slipping beneath the blankets, a little cry sounded over in the alcove, by the bedroom window. Victor and Yuuri froze, looking over at their sleeping baby and watching in silence. Then, a longer, louder cry rose up from the crib.

"I've got her," Victor said, not missing a beat.

"You don't need help?" Yuuri asked.

"I'm fine," Victor assured him, climbing out of the bed and setting his clothing back in place, "Besides, you did all the work of arranging that wonderful party."

"I had a lot of help from your parents," Yuuri admitted, "and your brother and sister, and their kids too."

"You still did a lot, and I owe you for being so forgiving too. Besides, when it's very late at night, it would be harder for me, and when it's earlier in the morning, it would be harder for you, so we'll just take turns…if you don't mind. I mean, we're not married or anything, so I won't assume…"

"You can assume," Yuuri laughed, rolling over and snuggling under the covers as Victor reached the crib and picked up the crying baby, "I'm going to beat you at Worlds, and then we will be married anyway."

"It's a deal," Victor said happily.

He smiled down at the baby and carried her to the changing table.

"Such a deal, right, Katya?"

The baby girl squawked and pulled at the ends of his hair.

"That's right. Such a deal!"


End file.
